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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Giant, Hill
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.
Another entry that that adds extra stat blocks to complement the existing MM1 and upcoming Monster Vault monsters. This one is for hill giants.
The new lore here is minimal or restates things we saw elsewhere. Hill Giant bands are usually small and consist of a single family group - they’re too anti-social to form more complex organizations. Every once in a while a larger group will manage to hold together for an extented period of time. Their leaders style themselves kings, and the log fortresses they build are known as steadings. You might have heard about a famous adventure with the words “Steading”, “Hill Giant” and “King” in its title, wink wink.
The Numbers
As usual, Hill Giants are Large Natural Humanoids (Giants), with a basic speed of 8. All of the ones here look like the iconic club-swinging D&D giant, with the big difference being in how they fight.
Hill Giant Smashers
A Smasher is pretty much a “Hill Giant Lite”. It’s slightly weaker than a standard MV giant, and doesn’t throw rocks. To compensate, it’s more mobile and has a few more tricks in melee. This is the stat block you use for those lone mercenary giants that get hired as living tanks by smaller evil humanoids like hobgoblins, bugbears, or gnolls.
Smashers are Level 11 Brutes with 137 HP. They have a passive Mobility trait which allows them to roll saves against being slowed, immobilized, or restrained at the start of their turns instead of at the end. This also works for any save-ends effect that includes these conditions, like “ongoing 5 damage and slowed (save ends both)”.
Like all giants in this entry they wield Reach 2 Greatclubs, and their basic attack deals a bit of automatic splash damage to a secondary target on a hit. Once per encounter they can perform a Whirling Crush to attack everyone in a close burst 2, and they can also perform a Brutal Smash that deals double damage and recharges on a miss. So they’ll keep trying that one until they hit.
Hill Giant Rockthrower
The MM1 and MV give us an artillery giant that uses big javelins. But if you want your giants to throw rocks and nothing but rocks, the Rockthrower is for you.
Rockthrowers are Level 12 Artillery with 97 HP. As artillery monsters, their Greatclub attacks are kinda weak, but their basic ranged attack is a Knockdown Throw that does a bit more damage, pushes the target 2 squares, and knocks them prone. They can also throw with a bit more force for a Shattering Rockburst (recharge 5+), which deals damage in an area and dazes on a hit.
They use the same tactics as a catapult: seek high ground, rain death from above. I imagine hiring a bunch of rockthrowers is quite a bit cheaper than maintaining your own siege engines.
Hill Giant Avalancher
Avalanchers are the heroic prodigies of their people. They’re much smarter than your typical hill giant, and often end up as leaders or kings. They get their name from their clever rock-throwing tricks and from their brutal charges.
An Avalancher is a Level 14 Skirmisher with 139 HP. They can make basic Greatclub attacks and perform Crushing Charges that do the same amount of damage and knock targets prone. From a distance they can throw Rolling Rocks, which in addition to doing damage on a hit slide the target 4 squares, knock them prone, and gather no moss.
After they knocked a bunch of PCs prone, Avalanchers will move using Stomping Shifts, which allow them to shift 4 squares and pass through prone enemies’ spaces. They deal an automatic 8 damage to a prone enemy when they pass through their spaces.
Avalanchers will always try to use their Crushing Charge if possible, and will make use of Stomping Shift to position themselves for a new charge and to deal additional damage to prone enemies. They use Rolling Rocks to break up tricky PC formations and to return fire against ranged attackers they can’t charge.
Final Impression
It’s more hill giants, which it’s okay because I like hill giants. I like that the Smasher is explicitly meant to be included as the “surprise bruiser” in a lower-leveled humanoid group. A smasher and its humanoid employers work well as a boss battle for a group of level 8-10 PCs, depending on how many other monsters you add.
The Avalancher gives you an interesting option for a leader type who is not a titan.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Giant, Frost
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.
You know the drill by now - Frost Giants appeared in the MM1 and were about to get rewritten with new math on the Monster Vault. The MM3 brings in an assortment of them that can complement the “basic” entries in the MV. You can look at those basic entries here.
The Lore
Frost giant lore remains the same. They’re plus-sized asshole vikings who like to live in cold regions, fight with a variety of axes, and use lots of ice magic. Some think this behavior is in service of a greater plan laid down by their primordial masters, but that might be reaching a bit.
The Monsters
Frost Giants are Large Elemental Humanoids with the Cold and Giant keywords. Their signature trait remains Icebound Footing, which reduces any forced movement imposed on them by 2 squares and can reduce it to 0. They can also roll a save to avoid being knocked prone. They have Resist 15 Cold, and their ground speed is 8 with Ice Walk, which allows them to ignore ice or snow-based difficult terrain.
Frost Giant Berserker
You’d expect someone with “Berserker” in its name to be a Brute, but these are Level 16 Skirmishers with 157 HP. The book describes them as those hot-headed youngsters who are too undisciplined to fight like proper brutes and instead keep running around the battlefield.
They fight with Freezing Greataxes, which do a mix of physical and cold damage. They can also make a Storm Charge that doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from its movement and deals heavy physical damage. Once per encounter, the berserker can use its Primordial Rage to shift its speed and make three basic attacks along the way, each against a different target. A bit more often (recharge 4+) they can take a Giant Stride to shift 6 squares and move through enemy spaces while doing so.
These giants are perfect for running right past the party’s defenders and harassing their squishies. For extra annoyance, stage the fight in a map full of ice-based difficult terrain, which doesn’t affect frost giants but makes it harder for those defenders to reposition.
Frost Giant Shield Bearer
Shield bearers are the opposite of berserkers. They’re the hardened veterans who get the best gear and the best training. This makes them suitable to form the core of a raiding party, or a lord’s honor guard. They’re huscarls.
Shield bearers are Level 18 Soldiers with 174 HP. They’re heavily armored and, as the name implies, are just about the only frost giants who carry shields. They still wield axes, though.
Their Coordinated Attack ability gives them combat advantage against any enemy that has another shield bearer adjacent to them, no flanking required. Their Icy Battleaxes do cold damage and mark for a turn. Once per encounter they can enhance an attack and turn it into a Protective Strike, which deals 10 extra cold damage and grants 25 temporary HP to an ally within 10 squares.
Finally, Defensive Stand allows them spend a minor action to choose an enemy within 10 squares. If that enemy moves within reach before the end of the shield bearer’s next turn, the shield bearer gets a free attack against that enemy. It’s not an opportunity attack, so it should work with shifts or other forms of movement too.
They’re all set up to fight in tight formations and hold ground, which means they go well with artillery and ranged controllers.
Frost Giant Chieftain
Any frost giant community not led by a titan will likely be led by one of these. This chieftain is a Level 20 Controller with 190 HP. He has an Emanating Cold aura (2) that makes enemies inside grant combat advantage to cold creatures (i.e, frost giants and any monsters that are likely to tag along with them).
The chieftain fights with an Icy Greataxe that does cold damage, and can attack at range with a Eye of the Storm spell that does immediate and ongoing cold damage in addition to slowing the target.
As a minor action, the chieftan can create a Medium or Large Pillar of Ice within ten squares. The pillar lasts for a turn and “occupies” its space, meaning no one can move through. It blocks line of sight and slows anyone who starts their turn next to it.
The chieftain can also cast a spell named Grip of Winter that creates a zone that slows and deals cold damage to those inside. The zone lasts for the whole encounter and the power recharges once the chieftain is first bloodied.
Here’s your ranged controller to go with the shield bearers. Chieftains should stay behind a line of their bodyguards, making the already difficult terrain of the icy battlefield even worse with ice pillars and slowing attacks. Then you release the berserkers to step over all that and hit the PC’s back ranks.
Final Impressions
I like giants in general, so I like these MM3 giant entries even though they don’t include much new lore. The trio presented here has nice mechanical synergy and should also be fun to use with the frost giants from the MV.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Giant, Fire
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.
Like the ghouls we just covered, fire giants are classic monsters that appeared both in the original Monster Manual, and who would appear again in the upcoming Monster Vault. The MM3 gives a selection of fire giant stat blocks that complements that of the MV.
The Lore
The lore for fire giants remains pretty much the same as it was in the MM/MV. The new bits here add that the ancient fire giant empire had close contact with the efreets of the Elemental chaos, and that their many volcano fortresses were linked to each other and to the City of Brass via teleportation circles and portals. Most of these portals are deactivated in the present day, though the giants labor to reignite them wherever they find one.
As usual, fire giants love to team up with other fire creatures, preferrably ones they can dominate and command. Some of them end up in the service of more powerful masters like efreets or the older red dragons, but since fire giants always think they should be the ones in charge they make for untrustworthy subordinates.
The Monsters
Fire Giants are Large Elemental Humanoids with the Giant keyword. They have a ground speed of 8 and Resist 15 Fire.
Fire Giant Lavamaster
Here’s a name that looks like it came from the writer’s 8-year-old child. Lavamasters are… masters of lava! Their magic allows them to control magma and use it both as a weapon, and to heal their allies. Lavamasters are Level 17 Controllers with 164 HP and the Leader tag.
They project an aura (2) of Hearthflames that hurts enemies and bolsters allies. Enemies caught inside take 10 fire damage; bloodied allies recover 10 HP when they start their turns inside the aura. This is not any kind of “drain” effect. Allies recover HP regardless of whether there are enemies to damage or not.
The lavamaster attacks with a Molten Sword that deals fire damage, and can also use several spells. Magma Lash is a ranged attack that deals a bit more fire damage than the sword, and pulls the target 4 squares. If the target ends up adjacent to the lavamaster, the giant grabs them. The spell recharges when the giant has no target grabbed. Magma Burst is like an at-will mini-fireball that leaves a fiery zone in its affected area. The zone lasts for a turn, counts as difficult terrain, and deals fire damage to enemies inside.
If the lavamaster has an enemy grabbed, Fiery Vendetta allows the lavamaster itself or one of its allies to make a free attack against that enemy whenever the enemy attacks the lavamaster.
A good tactic here is to keep away and repeatedly fireball the enemy, grabbing anyone who gets too close. Keep a Brute or two nearby as bodyguards so they can make free attacks against the grabbed victim and benefit from that healing aura.
Fire Giant Flamedancer
This martial artist is trained in an ancient style developed by the efreets. It combines mobile spear fighting with fire-based teleportation magic. Flamedancers are Level 18 Skirmishers with 174 HP.
Their Nimble Reaction trait gives them +4 to AC vs. Opportunity Attacks, and their Whirling Spear basic attack deals fire damage and allows them to shift 2 squares on a hit. They can also make at-will double attacks, which must be against different targets.
Once per encounter they can make a Flameburst Leap as a move action, teleporting 8 squares and dealing automatic fire damage to any enemies adjacent to them at the starting point.
You wouldn’t expect a giant to be this agile! The same stat block can be used for a slightly lower-level efreet without much issue.
Fire Giant Smokecaller
Smokecallers are what passes for a “subtle” fire giant spellcaster. They surround themselves in clouds of volcanic smoke, and attack by turning that smoke into a pyroclastic cloud aimed at their enemies. It’s “subtle” without necessarily being “stealthy”, unless you’re already in an environment naturally choked with sulphurous smoke. Which is… actually a common situation when you’re fighting fire giants.
Smokecallers are Level 19 Lurkers with 140 HP and a nice speed of 10. They fight with a Smoldering Whip that has a fantastic reach of 5. It targets Reflex, does fire damage, and pulls up to 3 squares on a hit.
Its main tactic consists of two abilities: Smokecloud creates a zone of smoke in a Close Burst 3 that lasts for a turn. It blocks line of sight for all creatures except the smokecaller. While inside this zone, the smokecaller can use Cindersmoke to attack all enemies in a Close Blast 5. This deals fire damage on a hit, and it ends the smokecloud immediately.
Both are standard actions, which means the lurkery routine here is Smokecloud followed by Cindersmoke on the next turn. Cindersmoke does the same damage as a whip attack to each target. This means the whip is only worth it if its forced movement component would synergize with something. An example is when you have multiple smokecallers and one of them wants to pull a PC into its buddy’s upcoming Cindersmoke area.
Final Impressions
Like the ghoul entry, this one feels like it was designed to fit together with the (upcoming, at the time) Monster Vault. The giants here all use the same improved math as the ones that would appear on the MV, and they fill roles which the more “classic” MV lineup does not. Combining the two gives you enough ready-made stat blocks to make a dungeon inhabited solely by fire giants, though you might also want to sprinkle in some hell hounds, elementals, and enslaved azer that just need that final push to revolt.
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Magic Item: The Coffee Machine From Hell
I dreamed about this thing today, and what use is a blog if I can’t use it to write about the weird things I dream up?
Description
This looks like a chunky, tabletop coffee machine of the sort that can be made at TL8, and which might be found in an office. It’s self-contained, with internal reservoirs for beans and plastic cups. An authorized technician supposedly refills those after working hours, but employees who stay late never see this technician, no matter how late they stay. And yet, the machine never seems to run out.
The device bears the name of a company that does indeed make this type of appliance, though instead of their usual logo it has an upside-down star with a smiley face. It has no model name or other contact information printed anywhere on its body.
The Coffee Machine From Hell has a counter-intuitive control panel. Several button presses are required to tell it what you want, but that’s just bad interface design. The Machine’s true curse is more insidious.
As its name implies, the Coffee Machine From Hell is literally a torment device built by demons. It will do its nominal job of producing cups of shitty office coffee, but only if the user is making one for themselves (i.e, being self-serving) or is thinking hostile or hateful thoughts about the intended recipient of the drink. Someone who’s genuinely trying to help, or even just being neutral about it, will find the machine seizes up or behaves unpredictably. Even if all buttons are pressed correctly, it will spit mangled cups, spill hot liquid on the countertop, make the wrong drink, and generally go out of its way to make user experience a nightmare and to never ever produce whatever it is the third party ordered.
Placed in an office where “making a coffee for someone else” is an accepted part of the culture, the Machine will soon turn it into a nest of hate and resentment. This is accelerated if the “someone else” is always the boss. Unlucky interns and employees will cause mess after mess until they start to truly hate the boss. The boss, in turn, will be frustrated that no one else seems to be able to operate this “simple” machine that always works for them and will come to hate their underlings in turn.
Mechanics
Despite its shitty interface, no roll is required to operate the Machine. It does however read the operator’s mind to see if it should trigger the curse, in which case it behaves as if a critical failure had been rolled. This will either result in a humiliating mess, or in a normal-looking but undrinkable cup of coffee that’s sure to cause inflict a nasty surprise on its intended recipient.
Someone who is wise to the curse can try to trick the device into operating normally with a successful Mind Block roll, or through any powers they have that can shield their thoughts from telepathy. This roll can me made at the usual Will-5 default if the character lacks the skill.
The machine’s infernal nature can be detected by any power or spell that detects evil or infernal powers. It can be “cleansed” through Exorcism or equivalent powers, like a more typical cursed artifact. Its greatest defense against detection and exorcism is that neither of these abilities are common in the settings in which it appears. Its true nature can’t be detected by purely scientific means.
How to use it in a game
The Coffee Machine From Hell is a perfect addition to any oppressive office your PCs must infiltrate for a while, particularly if they’re undercover as interns. It’s something of a trap in that case: If everyone else already hates each others’ guts, the PCs will be the only ones who trigger the curse, and this will draw undue attention to them.
Obviously, every office in Hell has one of these, but it can also be present on Earthly companies under demonic influence, or just wind up in an otherwise normal company without any explanation.
PCs on an infiltration mission will most likely need to trick the machine. Exorcism attempts are too obvious and will likely blow their cover, especially if they are actually infiltrating Hell. In an infiltration scenario where the office is weird or evil in other ways, the machine is unlikely to be the only obstacle they face.
In a campaign centered on paranormal investigation or monster hunting, the PCs might be hired to find the problem behind a supernaturally toxic work environment. If they have supernatural means of detecting evil, they’ll be able to easily find the Machine, but in those cases it might be only one of the sources of trouble. If they must rely only scientific instruments, then finding the Machine is considerably harder even if they can easily use Exorcism to cleanse it.
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Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual 3: Ghoul
Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast. This post is part of a series! Click here to see the others.
As classic monsters, Ghouls had their 4e debut on the first Monster Manual, and would end up making it into the Monster Vault as well. Here, the Monster Manual 3 gives us a few specialized ghoul variants that can compliment the ones on the MV.
The Lore
The basic lore for ghouls remains the same. You can check out a description of it on my post about ghouls in the MM/MV.
The MM3 emphasizes that ghouls are creatures of pure evil, since they used to be individuals who practiced cannibalism or did other equally horrible things in life. It adds that they are not only driven by a hunger for flesh, but are also drawn to places where evil is powerful.
Ghouls will spontaneously show up at the home bases of evil cults, especially those who worship Orcus or one of his exarchs. These villains often secure the ghouls’ services by paying in live captives.
Ghouls will also seek out ruins and dungeons where great evil is entombed, sometimes digging for miles to reach these places if they happen to be deep underground. This attraction handily explains why the ghouls that live in these places prefer to hang out there rather than terrorizing the countryside.
Some adventurers like to use these ghoul tunnels and warrens as a way to reach their dungeons or the Underdark, but this is a risky proposition as any ghouls living in the tunnels will have a terrain advantage against the interlopers.
The Monsters
We get three different varieties of Ghoul here, none of which seem to be reprinted in the MV. They’re all Medium Natural Humanoids with the Undead tag. They have Darkvision, Immunity to disease and poison, Resist 10 Necrotic, and Vulnerable 5 Radiant.
Ghoul Flesh Seeker
This is a cultist of Orcus who has undergone a voluntary transformation into a ghoul. I guess the origin could be applied to any stat block, but this specific entry describes a stealthy bastitch. They sometimes hunt in civilized settlements, disguising themselves with heavy robes. When accompanying other monsters, they like to strike from ambush while the PCs are busy with their less stealthy buddies.
Flesh Seekers are Level 4 Lurkers with 45 HP. Their ground speed is an excellent 8, and their Shadow Skulk trait allows them to roll Stealth to hide in combat when they have partial cover or concealment (normally you need full cover or concealment).
Their basic attack is a Claw that damages and immobilizes (save ends) on a hit. They don’t have abilities to exploit this directly, but “standard” ghouls do.
They have two “lurker”-y special attacks. The first is Prepare For Sacrifice, which they can use against a creature from which they were hidden at the start of their turn. It does more damage than the claw attack, and on a hit the flesh seeker knocks the target prone and grabs it. The target can escape using the normal rules (Athletics DC 14 or Acrobatics DC 16) but takes a -2 penalty on the escape test and can’t stand up until the grab ends.
The second special attack is Render Unto Orcus, and it can only be used on a target grabbed by the flesh seeker. No special riders here, just a massive chunk of damage.
Tactics write themselves: Ambush -> Prepare For Sacrifice -> Render Unto Orcus. If someone pries you off your victim, hide and repeat.
Adept of Orcus
A cannibal priest of Orcus who died and returned as a ghoul. This one retains its memories, but since it already behaved like a ghoul in life the only way you can tell it’s because it can use magic.
Adepts are Level 6 Controllers with the Leader tag and 71 HP. Their speed is 8. They project an Uneasy Grave aura (5). Any non-minion ghoul ally that dies inside this aura comes back as a zombie rotter (a minion) at the start of its next turn.
The adept’s Claw damages and immobilizes, as typical for ghouls. It also has three spells, all ranged attacks. Grave Grasp (at-will) does no damage and restrains (save ends). Call to Feast (recharge 5+) immobilizes (save ends) and allows a ghoul ally adjacent to the target to make a free basic attack against them. And Grave Dust Cloud (encounter) is an area spell that does necrotic damage and creates a zone that does 5 necrotic damage to any enemy who enters it or ends their turn inside.
These things are extremely dangerous when paired with traditional ghouls, since they can paralyze from a distance and allow their buddies to do huge damage right away.
Ghast
Ghasts are a monster as traditional as the ghoul. Basically, they’re stronger and stinkier ghouls. The MM and MV had Abyssal Ghouls to fill this role, but they were level 16. This official Ghast entry is appropriate for mixing in with standard ghouls.
Ghasts are what happens when a ghoul goes for too long without eating the flesh of the living. Instead of starving, they rot from the inside and become even more desperate and voracious. This rot is what gives them their horrible stench.
Ghasts are Level 6 Brutes with 85 HP. They’re a bit slower at speed 6, and their Stench of Death aura (1) slows any living creatures that start their turns inside.
Their basic attack is a bite that damages and immobilizes for a turn. They can use a Devouring Bite against an immobilized creature, which does huge damage and keeps recharging until they hit with it. After the bite hits and is spent, they can use their Rabid Claws, to make two melee attacks against immobilized creatures. Each one does slightly less damage than the basic bite, but if the two hit they hurt more overall.
Encounters and Final Impressions
These new ghoul types can fit into the same types of encounter group as the ones from the MM/MV, which means they pair well with Orcus cultists and other undead. And now you have enough ghoul stat blocks to make a large variety of all-ghoul encounters.
As for my impressions… I like ghouls as opponents, and I would like to repeat my warning from the original article to prefer the MV ghouls over the MM1 ones. The ones from this book pair well with the MV versions.
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